Los Angeles: American singer-songwriter Anita Pointer, who rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of the hit sibling band, the Pointer Sisters, died Saturday at age 74.
No cause of death was given, but her publicist said she died surrounded by family, reports ‘Variety’.
“While we are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter, Jada, and her sisters June and Bonnie, and at peace,” said a statement jointly attributed to her four closest survivors — sister, Ruth, brothers Aaron and Fritz, and her granddaughter Roxie McKain Pointer.
“She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long. Her love of our family will live on in each of us. Please respect our privacy during this period of grief and loss. Heaven is a more loving beautiful place with Anita there,” the statement, accessed by ‘Variety’, further read.
According to ‘Variety’, Anita was with the Oakland-based group from its formation in 1969 until she was forced to retire due to unspecified health reasons in 2015.
The Pointer Sisters had a hit album right out of the gate in 1973 as their self-titled debut release reached number 13 on the album chart.
Their first major hit single was a recording of Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can”, which narrowly missed the top 10, peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 12 on the R&B chart.
‘Variety’ adds that as they abandoned the nostalgic look they’d started with, the sisters had their first and only No. 1 R&B chart hit in 1975 with “How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)”.
Their biggest single album by far was 1983’s “Break Out”, which was certified three-times platinum; it was the LP that included “Neutron Dance”, “Jump”, and “Automatic”.
–IANS